GUIDELINES

Guidance Notes for Lodging a Complaint about a Judge

Please read these Guidance Notes carefully

1. Please use the form to lodge your complaint.

2. Under the Judicial Conduct Commissioner and Judicial Conduct Panel Act 2004 (Act) a complaint about the conduct of a Judge must be made to the Commissioner.

3. Section 13 of the Act provides that the complaint must:

• be in writing
• identify the Judge who is the subject of the complaint
• identify the complainant
• state the subject matter of the complaint.

The Commissioner is entitled to require you to complete a statutory declaration concerning the above matters.

4. Please complete this form by typing or writing legibly all of the information requested. Make sure that the information provided is complete and accurate.

5. Please describe the circumstances and judicial conduct that have led to your complaint in the Details of Complaint section. Clearly set out dates and places of hearing if these are relevant to the complaint. List all events in the order in which they occurred. Attach additional sheets or other relevant documents or papers, as needed, to complete your statement.

6. Sign and date the complaint form in the spaces provided.

7. It is recommended that you keep a copy of the complaint for your records.

8. Send the original of the complaint form to the Commissioners office at the address below.

9. If you wish to make complaints about more than one judge, please use a separate form for each one.

10. The Commissioner is able to give reasonable assistance in the completion of this form. If you need assistance, please contact the Commissioners office.

11. Under section 14 of the Act, the Commissioner must notify the Judge concerned of your complaint and may send a copy of the complaint to the Judge.

12. The Act states that it is not a function of the Commissioner to call into question the legality or correctness of any instruction, direction, order, judgment, or other decision of a judge in any legal proceedings. Those matters fall outside the jurisdiction of the Commissioner.